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COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 



Sunshine 

and 

Shadows 



By 
Joseph S. DeRamus 



tmi 



PUBLISHED BY 

PUBLICATION CORPORATION 
CHICAGO 






COPYRIGHT, 1922; BY 

JOSEPH 8. De RAMUS 

CHICAGO 



DEC-7'22 



Cl A 6 9 4 9 2 
^0 I 



INTRODUCTION 

By Thomas H. Russell, A.M., LL.D., 

Editor-in-Chief, Webster's Universal Dictionary 

Joseph S. DeRamus, author of this volume of 
verse, is a poet in the highest sense of the word. 
He has the imagination, depth of feeling, and 
knowledge of life which, combined with metrical 
skill, enable him to make a strong appeal to the 
human heart. The cynicism of modern thought is 
foreign to his nature, for the love of the Great 
Creator is in his heart and he can recognize His 
work on every hand. His understanding is keen, 
his sympathies broad and deep. He has the true 
poet's sense of the vital element in common things, 
and sings of them naturally and fondly. He is 
not enslaved by conventional rules of diction, but 
has a happy faculty of easy and familiar expres- 
sion. His poems are of the kind that high-minded 
men memorize for repetition to their fellows — 
the kind that mothers read to their children with 
mutual understanding and benefit. 

Nearly all of the poems collected in these pages 
have appeared hitherto in well-known newspapers 



and magazines. In the publication of this, his 
first book of verse, my friend DeRamus makes 
a lively bid for more general approval of his work, 
by embodying it in a form of greater permanence. 
May this laudable undertaking prove successful 
and these poems, possessing indubitable human 
interest, meet with the approbation they deserve! 




Chicago, October 1, 1922. 



To 

Josephine Louise 

this little volume 

is affectionately 

dedicated 

by her Daddy 



The thanks of the author are ex- 
tended to "The Chicago Tribune," 
"The Chicago Evening Post," "The 
American Poetry Magazine," "The 
New York CentraJl Lines Maga- 
zine," ""The Rock Island Maga- 
zine," and other publications for 
permission to reprint many of the 
verses in this volume. 



CONTENTS 

To Josephine 9 

Sunshine and Shadows 10 

Home 12 

Nostalgia 14 

To a Friend 15 

To An Old Bachelor 16 

Beneath My Window 17 

An Old Man Speaks 18 

To My Mother 20 

The Path From School to Home 22 

To Peoria 24 

To Edgar Guest 27 

A Common Working Man 28 

The Real Cook 32 

Mother's Day 34 

Just Be Yourself 36 

The Builder of the Man 38 

Reminiscence 40 

Mating Birds 43 

Shoes 44 



CONTENTS— Continued 

Help Him Rise 46 

A Man 48 

An Old Lady 50 

A Rose 51 

Sunset and Dusk at Sea 52 

To Laura Blackburn 53 

When I am Dead 54 

My God 56 

Be Thankful 59 

To a Rose 58 

The Song of the Time Clock 60 

The Best Investment Plan 62 

The Tryst 63 

The Solution 64 



TO JOSEPHINE 

Baby hands, baby feet. 

What on earth could be as sweet! 

How they wiggle, kick and prance, 

O, how ceaselessly they dance! 

Like fairy shadows in the trees 

Weaving cunning tapestries. 

Baby hands, baby feet. 

What on earth could be as sweet! 

Baby eyes, baby eyes, 
O, how close to Paradise! 
When they glance so bright at me 
^Tis like a wondrous melody. 
As though a saintly hand of art 
Had struck a chord within the heart. 
Baby eyes, baby eyes, 
O, how close to Paradise! 



-9 



Sunshine and Shadows 



SUNSHINE AND SHADOWS 

It takes the shadows of the night 
To make the sunshine seem so bright. 
It takes a heartache now and then 
To make us love the joys we win. 
We've got to know and taste defeat 
To make our vict'ries seem so sweet. 
We've got to feel the sting of strife 
Before we know the worth of life. 

It takes long days of cold and rain 
To make us yearn for Spring again. 
We've got to see the trees so bare 
Before we know how sweet and rare 
Were Summer days, and joys they brought 
We've got to see Time's havoc wrought 
To all the things that Spring gave birth 
To know how much a rose is worth. 



10 



Sunshine and Shadows 



We've got to grow forlorn and gray 
To know the bliss of youth's fair day. 
We've got to see life's shadows fall, 
We've got to hear death's sad voice call 
To make more dear those precious hours 
When love and happiness were ours. 
It takes the shadows of the night 
To make the sunshine seem so bright. 



-11 



Ho 



me 



HOME 

I used to think that home was nothing more 
Than just a wooden frame and walls and floor. 
A place to shelter folks from cold and rain, 
A place to come for balm in time of pain. 

It took so many years 
Of grief, so many years in sorrow spent 
To teach me all a home has really meant. 
It took a lot of roaming through the land 
Before I came to know and understand 

A loved one's tears. 

1 never knew the sentiment that lies 
Within a home, the true and loving ties 
That follow you no matter where you roam; 
I never knew those humble joys of home 

Could make life's bitter cup, 
In after years, so rich in memories; 
Could crowd the heart so full of melodies 
That in the distant days were sung to you. 
The sanctity of home I never knew 

Till I grew up. 



-12- 



Home 



It seems there's more to time than just the plan 
Of adding years to make a boy a man. 
It grips the heart and makes us realize 
That in the home the noblest virtue lies 

And sweetest songs are sung; 
And now, somehow, it all comes back to me, 
The happiness and joy that used to be, 
The wholesome pleasure that was mine to know 
In my old home so many years ago. 

When I was young. 



13 



Nostalgia 



NOSTALGIA 

IVe seen the costly mansion with its inlaid marble 
floor, 

But my home shack is finer with the roses 'round 

the door. 
I've mingled with all sorts of folks and many of 

renown, 
But those who mean the most to me are in my old 

home town. 
I've had a taste of Broadway and I've marveled at 

its worth. 
But my home town will always be the grandest 

place on earth. 

I'm weary of the sort of folks whose lives are full of 
sham. 

Who like me for the gold I have and not for what 

I am. 
I've had my fill of struggles on the highways that 

men roam. 
And now the thing I'm craving is to hit the trail 

for home. 



-14 



Nostalgia 



O, my heart will thrill with rapture when I see the 
old latch key, 

I know just where to find it and its hanging out 
for me. 



TO A FRIEND 

Had I a million dollars. 
Now this is what I'd do, 

I'd start right out, dear friend, 
And spend it all on you. 

But I have not a million. 
And since it is not true. 

We'll just pretend I had it 
And spent it all on you. 



15- 



To An Old Bachelor 



TO AN OLD BACHELOR 

If I beyond those eyes could see. 

Dim eyes that stare so pensively, 

I'd find a trace of youth's fair Spring; 

A heart once thrilled by caroling 

Of mating birds in budding trees, 

A passion stirred by a soft, sweet breeze 

That bore the breath of roses fair 

To wooing lovers everywhere. 

I'd see the pain of empty years 
You walked alone with burning tears. 
And shattered dreams are all I'd find 
If I could look into your mind. 
Your heart that tries to sing with me 
Is but a stubborn mockery, 
And only God shall know the price 
You paid for Love's lost Paradise. 



-16 



Beneath My Window 



BENEATH MY WINDOW 

Beneath my latticed window grows 
A sweet and fragrant little rose. 

I sit and gaze upon it there, 
And marvel at its beauty rare. 

It sways in the breeze so joyously^ 
And nods its tiny head at me. 

It loves to smile in the bright, warm sun, 
And when shadows creep and day is done. 

It bows its little head in prayer 

And God comes down to kiss it there. 

Then soon comes Autumn's breath of frost, 
And one by one the petals are lost. 

Till naught but a faded stem is there 
To greet me as I sit and stare. 

I know while Winter's chill wind blows 
That God will keep my precious rose. 



17- 



An Old Man Speaks 



AN OLD MAN SPEAKS 

It seems 'most every day I'm told 
How fast that I am growing old. 
They say my face is getting wan, 
The luster from my eyes is gone; 
The hair upon my head is thin 
And white is that upon my chin. 
They say my step is growing weak, 
That soon my bones will start to creak, 
And then I'll have to sit and stare 
So helpless in an easy chair. 

I guess this frame of mine is worn 
And shows the burden it has borne. 
My eyes are dim because the years 
Have made them so with scorching tears. 
Sometimes I think it all so strange 
How time can work so great a change 
With this old shell that keeps me whole. 
And leave untouched my heart and soul. 
Folks think me old because I wear 
A wrinkled face and snowy hair. 



-18 



An Old Man Speaks 



They call me old because of this, 

And yet my lips still crave a kiss; 

My furrowed brow and sallow face 

Still long to feel the tender trace 

And sweet caresses of a hand 

Of one who used to understand. 

Last night I dreamed I listened long 

To one who sang Love's Old Sweet Song ; 

Again I want to hear it sung 

By some sweet voice, for I am young! 



-19 



To My Mother 



TO MY MOTHER 

Sometimes I wonder why it is 
You seem so young and gay, 

When other mothers that I know 
Are getting old and gray. 

YouVe known the sting of sorrow's tears, 

Felt seasons hot and cold. 
But time, with all its magic power, 

Has failed to make you old. 

The lilac yields to Winter's frost, 

The rose fades in the sun. 
But time has made you lovlier 

For all that it has done. 

Perchance it is your cheery smile, 

Your kindly, sunny way, 
That drives away your many cares 

And keeps you young alway. 



20 



To My Mother 



It seems there's sunshine in your voice, 
There's balm in just your touch; 

How soft and tender are your hands, 
And O, they've done so much! 

The world will never see or know 

The glory you have won, 
But I heap laurels at your feet — 

So proud to be your son. 



-21- 



The Path From School to Home 



THE PATH FROM SCHOOL TO HOME 

There is a path I used to know 
Where joyous feet once longed to go; 
The weed-bound, dusty path where I 
So often romped in days gone by. 
Through vacant lots it wound its way 
To where the old frame school-house lay. 
And after school 'twas fine to roam 
That good, old dusty path back home. 

And I recall how good and sweet 

The soft dirt felt to weary feet 

As homeward bound I'd jog and run. 

Worn out with wholesome sport and fun. 

It seemed I knew each bug and bee, 

And every weed was a friend to me 

Along that path I used to roam. 

The path that led from school to home. 



22- 



The Path From School to Home 

That dusty path has given way 

To progress of the modern day; 

Today a thoroughfare we find 

With countless cars and people lined. 

But through the rush of industry 

It seems that I can only see 

That good old path I used to roam, 

The path that led from school to home. 



-23- 



To Peoria 



TO PEORIA 

Sometimes it all comes back to me, the pleasure an* 

the joy 
That filled my heart long years ago in Peoria, 

Illinois. 
'Twas there I learned my lessons in that dear, old 

southside school, 
'Twas there I spent my boyhood days an' came to 

know the rule 
Of life, the creed that shows a fellow how to be a 

man. 
To love the finer things an* live upon a better plan. 
An* in that town was taught to me the worth of 

friendship true. 
The kind that sticks through thick an' thin an' 

always follows you. 
It seems the sun is brighter there an' flowers bloom 

more fair. 
An' there is somethin' soothin' in the early mornin' 

air. 



24- 



To Peoria 



There's candor in the handshake of the folks I 

know down there, 
It's mighty fine to feel it an' somehow it makes you 

care; 
An' often comes a yearnin' just to go back now an' 

then 
To clasp the hands of old-time pals an' see them 

once again. 

Down there the rush for gold is not the biggest 

thing on earth; 
A man is liked for what he is an' not just for his 

worth. 
It seems that folks find time to smile an' share the 

fun of life, 
An' there is more to livin' than just days of toil an' 

strife. 
There's lots of wholesome laughter an' it seems 

there is a song 
Within the hearts of people as they walk an' swing 

along. 



-25- 



To Peoria 



An* there's a look of kindness in their eyes that you 

can see, 
There's more of love an' friendship an' lots less of 

enmity. 
I've done a lot of travelin' on the land an' on the 

sea, 
But I have never known a spot that is so dear to me. 
I've felt the so-called rapture of some far off 

foreign land, 
I've heard the empty laughter of the cities great 

an* grand. 
But when it comes to homelike folks an* friend- 
ship, love an* joy, 
There*s one old town that leads them all — Peoria, 

Illinois. 



26 



To Edgar Guest 



TO EDGAR GUEST 

If I could have my fondest dream come true, 
T*d love to fashion songs so sweet and true. 
I*d love to be a man with power to fill 
The hearts of common folks and make them thrill 
With happiness and laughter and sweet song, 
To lift their burdens as they plod along. 
If by some magic I could have my quest, 
I'd ask that I might sing like Edgar Guest. 

If by some power I could have my way, 
I'd love to be a man whose voice could sway 
Each mind and soul of this great universe 
With all the tender sweetness of his verse, 
To be an interpreter of sentiment, 
Go always singing, happy and content. 
If by some magic I could have my quest, 
I'd ask that I might sing like Edgar Guest. 



-27 



A Coinmon Wo Joking Man 



A COMMON WORKING MAN 

I may not be successful from the money point of 
view 

For I don't make the showing that the social climb- 
ers do. 

The world of trade and industry has never heard 
my name. 

And I have never known the thrill of high, exalted 
fame. 

I bear my daily struggles and I do the best I can 
With no regrets that I am just a common working 
man. 

I'm just a common working man with simple tasks 
to do, 

No costly luxuries are mine and wants of life are 

few. 
I have no fond ambition for the wealth that others 

hold, 
I care not for their castles or their palaces of gold ; 



-28 



A Common Woi^hing Man 



I live my life and fashion it upon a simple plan, 
Content and happy just to be a common working 
man. 

I'm sorry for the fellow who makes wealth his only 
aim, 

Who seeks the tinseled glamour of a false and 
selfish fame. 

I'm sorry for the fellow who has built his dreams 
of gold 

And sits alone in luxury when years have made 
him old, 

With naught to comfort him but silent halls and 
vacant chairs; 

Who never heard small romping feet upon his pol- 
ished stairs. 

I count that man a failure who could never under- 
stand 

The tender, sweet caresses of a baby's dimpled 
hand. 



29 



A Common Working Man 



I count that man a pauper who has never known 
the joy 

Of being just a daddy to a little girl or boy. 

The saddest man I know is he who played the sel- 
fish part 

And wakens at the close of life with yearning in his 
heart. 

I'm just a common working man of very little 

worth, 
But I would not trade places with the richest man 

on earth. 
Upon a hill a cozy cottage nestles in the sun, 
And in and out and round about, two happy 

youngsters run. 
The ring of little voices shouting loud and merrily 
Is sweeter than the music of an opera melody. 

I'm just a common working man, no glory have 

I won, 
But when the shadows start to fall and daily toil 

is done, 



-30 



A Common Working Man 



I know two joyous little hearts will greet me at 
the gate, 

I know within that little home God's love and bless- 
ing wait. 

I'm just a common working man, a slave to in- 
dustry. 

But greater than a monarch to my little family. 



31 



The Real Cook 



THE REAL COOK 

To me there's nothin' quite so fine 
As sittin' down at night to dine, 
An' with my little family share 
Just heaps o' tasty, home-cooked fare. 
Now I don't like to brag to you 
About the things my wife can do, 
But when it comes to things to eat, 
Say folks, she simply can't be beat! 
You ought to taste the pie she makes, 
The cake an' muffins that she bakes. 
She knows so many recipes 
She never finds it hard to please. 
The worst dyspeptic can enjoy 
Her cooking like a hungry boy. 
When folks drop in to visit us, 
Without the social pomp or fuss 
From some secreted place she'll bring 
Some goodies that would please a king. 
It seems that almost every day 
A friend or two drops in to pay 



32 



The Real Cook 



Respects to us an' say hello; 

An' they don't seem to want to go 

Until the wife has served a treat 

Of somethin' good she's cooked to eat. 

O, I have tasted things quite fine 

When in cafes I've chanced to dine, 

But one place only can I find 

Real cookin' of the ultra kind; 

An' to that place each night I run 

When work is through an' day is done. 

My wife could win most any heart 

With all her culinary art; 

An' she has made, as all can see, 

A gormandizer out of me. 



33- 



Mother's Day 



MOTHER'S DAY 

I could have sent you flowers 

In honor of this day, 
But why should I send flowers 

That fade too soon away. 

If I had sent you flowers, 
Though lovely as the sun, 

How soon the leaves would withei 
The petals drop one by one. 

If I had sent you flowers 
You'd have a withered heap, 

A token for a moment, 
Nothing for you to keep. 

I send instead these lines, 
And each one is a rose, 

A rose that v/ill not fade. 

For out of the heart it grows. 



34 



Mother's Day 



So greetings to you, mother, 
Upon this sacred day, 

Please take my bunch of roses, 
The kind that last alway. 



35 



Just Be Yourself 



JUST BE YOURSELF 

There's always some who laugh an' jest, 
But go ahead an' do your best. 
Just set your goal an' work away 
In spite of all that folks may say. 
In all you do be your own guide, 
Don't be a slave to foolish pride, 
Just be yourself. 

Regardless of convention's plan 
Don't imitate some other man. 
It takes a man whose will is strong 
To leave the highway of the throng. 
No matter if you walk alone, 
Be sure your deeds are all your own. 
Just be yourself. 

It's easy to walk the trampled road 
Where folly goes with empty load. 
It takes a man whose heart is stout 
To tread the byways in and out. 



Z6 



Jmt Be Yourself 



If you would rise above the crowd 
Just shun the highway of the proud. 
Just be yourself. 

The folks who laugh at you today 
Will some day to you homage pay. 
The jest an* laughter of the throng 
Will some day turn to praise and song. 
So if success would come to you, 
Remember that in all you do, 
Just be yourself. 



'67 



Til e Builder of the Man 



THE BUILDER OF THE MAN 

Just look about and you shall see 
The fruit of man's vast artistry. 
The wonders that each day we find 
Are part of his creative mind. 
The scope of his immensity 
Is shown in art and industry; 
But in this huge construction plan 
Who is the builder of the man? 

Who brings him here? 
Who sheds the tear 
And bears the pain 
That he might gain 
The things of worth 
Upon this earth? 

Who says the prayer? 
Who's loving care, 
Like a beacon light 
Forever bright, 
Guides him straight 
To goals that wait? 



38 



The Builder of the Man 



The noble life a mother leads 

Is better far than all the creeds. 

She builds no shining temple grand, 

Her task it is to understand 

The cunning of a finer trade 

By which the worth v^hile man is made. 

The v/orld was builded on man's plan, 

But here's to her who builds the man. 



39 



Reminiscence 



REMINISCENCE 

(To The Peoria Star) 

I dropped into the office just a day or so ago 
An' missed so many faces of the bunch I used to 

know. 
They've left the old brick shop where once I used 

to sit an' write 
So many many yarns of baseball, football, track an' 

fight. 
Deserted is the red brick shop where fellowship 

held sway, 
The place that holds the mem'ry of a golden 

yesterday. 
O, they've moved into new quarters with a finer 

wall an' frame, 
But somehov/ to me the place will never seem the 

same. 

I walked into the office as I used to do of yore 
An* missed the many greetings I have always 
known before. 



40 



Reminiscence 



I thought they'd shout a welcome an' be glad to 

see me there, 
But most of them were strangers an' my greeting 

was a stare. 
It seems there's such a diff'rence in that once 

familiar place, 
An* only here and there I saw an old-time friendly 

face. 
O, they've moved into new quarters an' new glory 

do they claim, 
But somehow to me the place will never seem the 

same. 

I missed the face of Bernie Smith, that grand old 

sporting ed; 
My throat got sort o' lumpy when they told me 

he was dead. 
An' gone is Harry Powell an' that dauntless sage 

E. F., 
It seems that just a mighty few of that old bunch 

are left. 



-41 



Reminiscence 



There's only Oak an' Louie and the faithful Freddy 

Tuerk 
Who still are on the paper where I started in to 

work. 
O, the Star's a grand old paper an' I'll always hail 

its name, 
But somehow to me the place will never seem the 

same. 



42 



Mating Birds 



MATING BIRDS 

I love to sit beneath a tree 

And listen to the melody 

Of mating birds in early Spring. 

How sweet the songs they chirp and sing ! 

I like the songs of human tongue, 
The opera by great artists sung, 
But I like best the silv'ry notes 
That come from tiny feathered throats. 

Long years the artists toil and fret 
For all the dazzling skill they get, 
But they shall never learn to sing 
Like mating birds in early Spring. 



43 



Shoes 



SHOES 

Now has it ever 'curred to you 

There's somethin' human 'bout a shoe, 

That in its structure an' its plan 

It has the attributes of man? 

Most folks think shoes are just plain leather 

That guard against all kinds of weather, 

But somehow I consider shoes 

As somethin' human that we use. 

We slip them on at break of day 

An' know they'll take us on our way 

To all the daily tasks that wait 

An' stick to us through any fate. 

The words of men have often stung 

But shoes are friends who have a tongue 

An' know the rule of keepin' still. 

Who only serve an' do our will. 



-44 



Shoes 



An' shoes have eyes but do not see 

The countless faults in you an' me, 

An' what is more, they have a soul 

As humans do to keep them w^hole; 

An' somehow when they've served their day 

I hate to see them thrown away, 

For I can't help but feel that shoes 

Are somethin' human that we use. 



45- 



Help Him Rise 



HELP HIM RISE 

It seems we find most every day 
A man who's fallen by the way; 
A man who's gone down in the strife 
And somehow lost his grip on life. 
We glance at him as we pass by 
And v/onder how he came to lie 
So low beneath the proud world's feet— 
A common beggar of the street. 
We see the shabby clothes he wears 
But not the burden that he bears. 
We scoff at him and jeer and frown 
And kick him just because he's down. 
Don't be too prone to look with scorn 
Upon a man who lies forlorn; 
Hold out your hand and help him rise 
And brush the dust from out his eyes. 
We do not know the fight he made, 
It might have been a trick fate played 
That led him off the beaten road 
And bent his back beneath the load. 



46 



Help Him Rise 



Because his clothes are rags and tatters 
Is not the thing that really matters, 
For nearly all our greatest men 
Are those who fell and rose again. 
A cheerful word and friendly hand 
Will often help a fellow stand 
And give him courage to go on 
Until he sees the victory's dawn, 
And then rise up to great renown ; 
Don't kick a man because he's down! 



47 



A Man 



A MAN 

When a man has really tried 

An* done the best he can, 
When he's wet upon the brow 

An' calloused in the hand; 
When the sinews of his body 

Are hard from labor wrought, 
When his face is grimly set 

By righteous battles fought: 

When he shows the good that's in 'im 

An' tries to live down the bad, 
An' can smile a smile that's real 

When all the world is sad; 
When he measures the worth of man 

By something more than gold. 
When he serves both friend an' foe 

Who've wandered from the fold: 



-48 



A Man 



When he sins a little too. 

Along the path men trod, 
But knows when an' how to turn 

An' keeps his faith in God; 
When he trusts an' understands 

An' fears no earthly thing, 
He's a man among real men 

An' greater than a king. 



49 



An Old Lady 



AN OLD LADY 

I looked upon her sitting there 
With wisps of gray in her dark brown hair 
Her eyes were dim and her face was wan 
And all her youthful charms were gone. 
Somehow it always seems so strange 
How all of us grow old and change ; 
Surely life is like a flower 
Fading with each fleeting hour. 

She seemed so lonely sitting there 
Searching space with a pensive stare. 
Just what she saw is hers to keep, 
I only know she did not weep; 
For there was light in her yearning gaze 
Which seemed to pierce the earthly haze 
And span the great ab3^ss that lies 
Between this world and Paradise. 



-SO- 



A Rose 



A ROSE 

This rose I hold in my rough hand 
Is rarer than a perfect strand 
Of Pearls that some fair form entv/ine 
And with a brilliant luster shine. 

It seems that all the skill God knows 
He put into a little rose, 
And fashioned it so tenderly, 
Just like a perfect life should be. 

Softly kissed by Heaven's tears, 
The roses bloom and fill our years 
With promises of God above — 
They are His messengers of love. 



51 



Sunset and Dusk at Sea 



SUNSET AND DUSK AT SEA 

Westward, out, out, as far as vision can perceive, 

Where stretch boundless areas of watery waste; 

Where the blue of the sky and the blue of the sea 

Melt into a languid gray 

Like unto the dawn of a world unknown, 

A golden sun descends across the way. 

In its wake a path of red 

Glows on the desolate waters. 

And the scarlet reflection in the sky 

Paints a vermillion canopy, 

And all Heaven seems to burst into flame. 

Then the sun like a wanton lord 
Who has finished his day at sport. 
Clambers down from his spirited mount 
And leaves a world to shadows and dreams. 
Darkness falls, and a star-studded sky 
Looks dov/n upon a d'smal space; 
And the sea, like a huge monster wounded. 
Lies wailing in the gloom of the dusk. 



-52- 



Sunset and Dusk at Sea 



Slowly stealing aft across the sky, 
The moon, holy cardinal of Heaven, 
From the spectral heights holds requiem, 
For the sighing sea at night. 



TO LAURA BLACKBURN 

IVe listened to the songs you sing 
And felt the rapture that they bring. 
How oft I've sailed with you it seems 
Thru your enchanted realm of dreams 
Where skies are set with myriad gems 
To suit your fancies and your whims. 

I love the sweetness of your song, 
Like music that is borne along 
Above the water's soft, dull roar. 
To listeners on a moonlit shore. 
I strive to catch each fleeting tune. 
But always do you stop too soon. 



-53- 



When I am Dead 



WHEN I AM DEAD 

When I am dead 
And in my bed, 

Secure in the cold, dark sod. 
Just say a prayer 
As you lay me there. 

And leave the rest to God. 

O, do not weep 
When I shall sleep 

And peaceful refuge find; 
O, do not grieve 
When I shall leave 

This old, proud world behind. 

For I shall fly 
Through perfumed sky 

Entranced with loveliness, 
And I shall be 
So glad and free. 

Like a bird in the wilderness. 



-54- 



When I am Bead 



I'll know the sun 
And everyone 

Of the tiny stars that shine, 
The moon shall be 
A pal to me, 

And her secrets shall be mine. 

And I shall gaze 
Through mist and haze 

Upon a world I knew, 
I'll see your strife 
For a futile life. 

And how I'll pity you! 

So when I'm dead 
And in my bed. 

Secure in the cold, dark sod, 
Just say a prayer 
As you lay me there, 

And leave the rest to God. 



-55- 



My God 



MY GOD 

Who is my God, you ask? 
Why do you question me? 
Is my life a mystery? 
Think you this soul of mine 
Untaught of things divine? 

Who is my God, you ask? 
Such importune remark, 
That like some meadow lark 
Storm driven from its nest. 
My soul is not at rest! 



I do not build 
A fancy guild 

To please the God I know; 
No sanctum grand. 
Nor lordly band. 

For social pomp and show. 



56- 



My God 



I can feel the glow 
Of the God I know 

In the tune the song birds sing; 
I can see His face 
And feel His grace 

In every earthly thing. 

The blossoming rose, 
The wind that blows, 

Is the voice of the God I know; 
The stars are his eyes 
And the changing skies, 

The face of the God I know. 

I see as I pass 

In the blade of grass, 

A Subtle Power there; 
In the budding trees 
And the wafting breeze, 

His presence is everywhere. 



-57 



My God 



Ah, that Mystic Power 
Which creates a flower 

From a seed in the cold, dark sod 
You saints will say 
It's nature's way, 

But all this I call my God. 



TO A ROSE 

O, what heart can stay 
With all its power, 

Can stay the fragrance 
0£ a flower! 

O, what soul can live 

In true repose, 
Without the image 

Of a rose! 



58 



Be Thankful 



BE THANKFUL 

With all the lovely sunshine 
There's bound to be some rain, 

For every bit of gladness, 
The same amount of pain. 

We never miss the sunshine 
Till rain begins to fall; 

We never miss the gladness 
Till sorrow begins to call. 

So let's be duly thankful 
For every joyous minute, 

Let's learn to love God's world 
And everything that's in it. 



-59 



The Song of The Time Clock 



THE SONG OF THE TIME CLOCK 

(To be chanted to the rhythm of the clock.) 

Tick, tock, tick, tock. 

Thus sings the time clock. 
Seconds, minutes, hours, days. 
How the nymph of time obeys! 

Tick, tock, tick, tock. 

Thus sings the time clock. 

Days, weeks, months and years, 
Another decade now appears. 

Tick, tock, tick, tock. 

Thus sings the time clock. 
Summer, Winter, Fall, Spring, 
Hear the dismal time clock sing! 

Tick, tock, tick, tock. 

Thus sings the time clock. 
Weary, dreary, getting older. 
Old time clock is getting bolder! 

Tick, tock, tick, tock. 

Thus sings the time clock. 

Weaker, meeker, getting gray. 
How it sings our life away! 



-60 



The Song of The Time Clock 

Tick, tock, tick, tock, 
Thus sings the time clock. 

Sighing, dying, life is through, 

Old time clock is after you! 
Tick, tock, tick, tock. 
Thus sings the time clock. 

Never ceasing 

Or increasing, 

Grinding, grinding. 

Always grinding; 
Tick, tock, tick, tock. 
Tick, tock, tick, tock, 

Never faster, never slower. 

Just this tune and nothing more. 



61- 



The Best Investment Plan 



THE BEST INVESTMENT PLAN 

The service we render our fellowman 
Is truly the best investment plan. 
The kind words spoken and deeds we do 
Come back to us in friends who are true; 
For the thing that really makes life dear 
Is filling other hearts with cheer. 

There wouldn't be so much to living 

But for the joy of helpful giving; 

And it isn't so much the cost of a thing, 

It's the message of love we strive to bring, 

For neither wealth, nor fame, nor power 

Can soothe a heart in its darkened hour. 

A pleasant word and a kindly deed 
Are things of life that people need. 
And though we serve for love or gold 
The good we do comes back tenfold. 
And the service we render our fellov/man 
Is truly the best investment plan. 



-62 



The Tryst 



THE TRYST 

Sometimes I peek through your window pane, 
But seldom do you notice me. 
I've played v/ith you down by the sea, 
And frolicked with you o'er meadow and lea. 
I've felt the v/arm flush of your face; 
And once, I recall, in a wooded place. 
While you were held in love's embrace, 

I stole a kiss from your lips so vain. 
How fair you were to look upon! 
That wondrous thrill shall linger on 
When other rhapsodies have gone. 
And when Spring wears her cloak so gay, 
I'll fly to the tryst on the breath of May. 
But what do I know of love anyway? 

I'm just a little drop of rain! 



-63 



The Solution 



THE SOLUTION 

Old love new love, 
Which is the true love. 

Which one shall I take? 
New love old love. 
Which is the cold love, 

Which shall I forsake? 

Handsome is the new, 
But the old is too, 

Somehow I can't decide. 
Cunning is the old. 
But the new has gold. 

By which shall I abide? 

Old love new love. 
Which is the true love, 

which shall I betroth? 
I love the two. 

Both old and new, 

1 guess I'll take them both! 



-64- 



